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2007 RETREATS - Join us!

March 12, 2007

Talking about gay issues in school

March
22 - A screening of "It's Elementary" will be held at
12:20 p.m. Thursday, March 22, at UNC Asheville's Karpen Hall, room 010.

It's Elementary takes cameras into classrooms across the U.S. to look at
one of today's most controversial issues - whether and how gay issues should be
discussed in schools. It features elementary and middle schools where (mainly
heterosexual) teachers are challenging the prevailing political climate and its
attempt to censor any dialogue in schools about gay people. Rather than
focusing on the debate between adults, though, the film takes the point of view
of the school children, starting as young as first grade.

The results are surprising and, as the LA Reader says, "funny, touching,
and fascinating." Third graders' jaws drop when they find out some of
their favorite celebrities are gay; second graders react to a book about a girl
who gets teased because she has two moms; fourth graders say it makes them
"feel weird in your stomach" when other kids yell "faggot"
on the playground and teachers don't do anything about it; eighth graders fire
a barrage of poignant questions to the gay guest speakers who visit their
social studies class; third graders passionately debate the current events
issue of the day: should gays be allowed to get married?